Spring-hinge



N0- 62 ,933- Patented Mar. l4, I899.

J. KEENE.

NG HING (App ca ion filed Oct. 2 8.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l I r 1.ii

No. 620,933. Patented Mar. l4, I899.

J. KEENE. SPRING HINGE.

(Application filed Oct. 29, 1898. (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

WWWWWW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH KEENE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPRING-HINGE.'

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 620,933, dated March14, 1899.

Application filed October 29,1898. Serial No. 694,923. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH KEENE, a resident of the city of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Spring- ,I-Iinges, of which I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention has for its main object to enable a light, cheap,durable, and efiective construction of hinge to be made from platemetal, preferably sheet-steel.

A further object of the invention is to improve the spring-hinge invarious details of construction; and the invention consists in thefeatures of improvement hereinafter described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims at theend of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of adoubleacting spring-hingeembodying'myinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the pintle-nutsremoved, the pintles being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview showing a partially-shaped blank from which the springbarrels andconnecting-web are formed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing theblank illustrated in Fig. 3 further folded. Fig. 5 is a perspective Viewshowing the completed spring-barrels and connecting-web. Fig. 6 is aperspective View of the reinforceplate. Fig. 7 is an invertedperspective view of the reinforce-plate. Fig. 8 is a view in centralvertical longitudinal section through the reinforce-plate. Fig. 9'is aview in central vertical section through one of the spring-barrels shownin Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of one of thebearing-washers. Fig. ll is an inverted plan viewof the pintlenut.

In the accompanying drawings my invention is shown as applied to adouble-acting spring-hinge, because this is the preferable embodiment ofmy invention and the one for which the greatest trade demand exists. It

is manifest, however, that without departure from the broad scope of theinvention features of it may be embodied in a single-actingspring-hinge-that is to say, in a hinge in which but a singlespring-barrel is employed.

In the preferred practice of my invention a plate of metal (usuallysheet-steel) of proper thickness and dimensions is first subjected tothe action of dies in order to give to the blank the general outlineshown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This blank is then by means of suitabledies brought first to the shape shown in Fig. 4 and subsequently to thefinished shape shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. By this means I amenabled to produce from a single blank the web A and the spring-barrelsB and B. Preferably, although not essentially, the top and bottom edgesof the barrels B and, B are formed with the counter sunk portions b,over which will set the cy lindrical portions 0 of the reinforce-platesC. It has heretofore been proposed to manufac 'ture the barrels andconnecting-web of a double-acting spring-hinge from sheet steelg but inorder to give the proper strength to the web it has been deemednecessary to form the web of a plurality of plates or thicknessesriveted together. This construction is seriously defective for thereason that while the required stength is imparted to the web still thepoints of connection between the web and the barrels at the sidesthereof are not materially strengthened and in fact have little, if any,more strength than the single thickness of metal of which the barrelsare formed. In practice it is found that a great part of the strain towhich the hinge is subjected is exerted at the point of union ofthespring-barrels and the connecting-web, and the serious desideratum isto afford some simple and effective means for giving the requiredstrength at such points, as well as to the web, without materiallyincreasing the weight of the parts or the cost of the hinge. By thepresent invention-I am enabled to form the barrels and connecting-web ofa double-acting spring-hinge of uniform thickness and to so strengthenthese parts by reinforce-plates as to give to the hinge far greaterstrength and durability than has been attainable by prior constructions.

A reinforce-plate O is preferably attached to both the top and bottom ofthe spring-barrels and their connecting-web. Each of thesereinforce-plates is by preference formed from a blank of sheet-steelswaged by suitable dies to the shape shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of thedrawings-that is to say, the reinforce-plate has its central portion ofchannel shape in cross-section, and at the ends of the channel formed bythis central portion of the plate are the cyclindrical parts 0, that setover the ends of the springbarrels B and 13, while the channel-shapedbody of the plate 0 fits over the edge of the web A. Preferably the bodyor central portion of each of the reinforce-plates O is extended inoffset relation to the cylindrical ends 0 and c, the outer portions ofwhich are by preference formed of inwardlyturned flanges 0 adapted tocover the edges of the spring-barrels B and B when the reinforce-platesO are in position thereon. In practice I have found that thereinforce-plates C serve most effectively to strengthen the web A andthe points of union between the web and the spring-barrels B and B, sothat all danger of breakage of the parts is avoided, and this, too,without adding considerably to the weight of the parts or their cost. Iprefer that the reinforce-plate 0 should be made from a single plate ofmetal with its central portion and end portions shaped as shown, becausethis construction I believe to be most effective, although manifestly a.reinforceplate varying somewhat from the construction illustrated mightbe made without departing from the broad spirit of the invention.

When the spring-barrels and web have been brought to the shape shown inFig. 5, a reinforce-plate C will be placed over the top and bottom edgesof the web and over the correspondin g ends of the spring-barrels, asshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Through each of the barrels l3 and Bextends a pintle D, havin g a head d at one end and having its oppositeend screw-threaded to receive a correspondingly-threaded nut cl. Thepintle D passes through the caps e of the hinge-leaves E and E, thesecaps being shown as formed of conoidal outline from sheet-metalextensions of the leaves E and E, that are also formed of sheet metal.Within the caps e are preferably set the plates or disks f, throughwhich the pintle D passes, and upon the bottom cap rests a stationaryspring-holder G", within the slot 9 of which is fastened the lower endof the coiled torsion-spring II. The upper portion of the pintle Dpasses through the movable springholder G, with the grooved stem ofwhich engages the upper end of the coiled spring H. The springholder Gis formed about its periphery with a series of pin-holes 9, adapted toreceive a pin 9 for the purpose of holding the spring under tension inmanner well understood by those familiar with this class of devices.WVithin the upper end of each of the barrels B and B is preferably set abearing sleeve or collar K, the flange 7.; of which sets over the upperpart of the cylindrical portion 0 of the reinforceplate 0. The upperface of the collar K affords a broad bearing for the head of thespringholder G, which turns under the swinging movements of the hinge.It is advantageous to employ a broad bearing-sleeve K, because by thismeans the wear upon the parts is very materially lessened. It will beobserved by reference to Fig. 9 of the drawings that there is no bearingsleeve or collar encircling the spring-holder G at the lower end of eachof the barrels B and B, since this spring-holder, being stationary,needs no bearing sleeve or collar; but, by preference, theinwardlyturned flange c of the lower reinforce-plate O is made somewhatbroader than the corresponding flange c of the upper reinforceplates inorder to more snugly inclose the stem of the spring-holder G.

In order to prevent the accidental working loose of the pintle D, Iprovide suitable interlocking lugs and seats between the pintlenut andpreferably also between the pintlehead and the adjacent parts. As shown,this feature of my invention is practiced by forming both the upper andlower caps 6 with lugs 6 adapted to enter corresponding seats 6 formedupon the inner faces of the heads d and nuts Z of the pintle. It willtherefore be seen that when the pintle D is placed in position, as shownin Figs. 1. and 9 of the drawings, and when the nuts cl are forceddownward upon the caps e the heads cl of the pintles will be drawnupwardly against the adjacent cap 6. The lug e of the cap Q will enterthe notches 6 but I have found in practice that the elasticity of thematerial of which the caps e are formed permits the nut d and head d ofthe pintle to be turned some distance after the initial bearing upon thelugs d thereby causing the lugs d to snap into the seat e and so retainthe pintle against all danger of accidental movement or working loose ofthe parts.

By reference to Figs. 6 and 8 of the drawings it will be seen that theflanges c of the reinforce-plate C are formed with notches 0 the notchesof the upper reinforce-plate serving to receive corresponding offsets7.0, that project from the bearing sleeves or collars K, while thenotches c of the lower reinforce plate receive offsets projecting fromthe stem of the stationary spring-holder G.

Manifestly the details of construction above set out maybe variedwithout departure from the spirit of the invention and features of theinvention may be employed without its adoption as an entirety.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A spring-hinge having a barrel and a web formed integral from a plateof metal and a reinforce-plate formed separate from said web and barreland extending around said barrel and upon opposite sides of said web.

2. A double-acting spring-hinge comprising a web, a barrel at each sideof said Web and a reinforce-plate formed separate from the web andbarrels and extending around ICC both barrels and upon opposite sides ofsaid Web.

3. A double-acting spring-hinge comprising a Web, a barrel at each sideof said Web and a reinforce-plate formed separate from the Web andhaving the central channelshaped portion setting over the edge of theweb and cylindrical end portions encircling barrels, said cylindricalportions being formed with inwardly-extending flanges to set over theends of the barrels.

5. In a spring-hinge the combination withzo the pintle having a head andwith its retaining-nut and with suitable caps or parts adjacent saidhead and nut, of interlocking seats and lugs intermediate the pintle-capand the nut, and the parts With which they engage, 25

whereby the pintle is held against displacement.

JOSEPH KEENE.

.Witnesses:

GEO. P. FISHER, J r., ALBERTA ADAMIOK.

